After spending three year's a few blocks from it's newest location, The Institute of Contemporary Art has upgraded to a new spacious HQ that everyone should put on their bucket list for their next Miami trip or Art Basel pilgrimage. With a ground floor dedicated to emerging artists and bigger and better galleries, who wouldn't want to visit?

The new museum which boasts 37, 500 square-feet also has a sculpture garden. The garden features a monumental Allora & Calzadilla piece. As if you didn't need any more selling points -- the museum is absolutely free! Sign up online before you plan your trip here.

Who doesn't love a day at the museum? You see beautiful works of art and leave the museum feeling completely inspired! Don't want to lose said inspiration? Here's a surefire way to create your own personal collection of works at home that will breathe life into your space and make you an art collector!

All About You

Make sure that you choose pieces that reflect who you are. This will help strengthen your collection as it grows. Think of what colors and art genres you like and remember to trust your gut. You don't need a reason to like a piece. Connecting and being drawn to the piece is all the reason that you need!

Do Your Research

There are so many amazing websites and apps that can help beginner's navigate the art world. My personal favorites are See Saw, The Journal and Artsy.

See Saw is an app for your phone that helps you organize in-person trips to galleries in your city. This can help you become familiar with the curators, art dealers and galleries in your hood. The Journal is a great resource for discovering artists and learning more about their work.

Out of my three recommendations, Artsy is my favorite -- there's so much that you can do in one place! On this amazing site, you can learn about artists, purchase pieces, participate in live auctions and get information about exhibitions, fairs and museums all over the world.

Know Your Budget

Although I just cried inside about the live Kerry James Marshall piece being auctioned via Artsy for 35k, that kind of money is not needed to own works of art. Understand what you can afford and stick to that. You will be surprised to see all of the pieces that you can buy without breaking the bank.

Make Your Purchase Official

No matter how much your piece costs, you should have a certificate of authenticity that comes with it. This will help you understand the value and origins of your artwork.

Enjoy!

Once you start, you can't stop. Be sure to install your pieces as soon as possible. You will be so content coming home and knowing that you've invested your money in a piece that will last forever.

When my husband and I visited Habana Vieja (Old Havana), we had the pleasure of visiting the Museo de Bella's Artes Cubanos. I tried to take photos after I entered the exhibit space and was quickly told by a guard to stop. What can I say, I follow instructions better when I'm in a foreign country. If I were in the States, I would have snuck a few photos here and there.

I noticed a common thread with each of the pieces that we viewed. The colors black, red and green were used often -- colors of strength. The materials used in the artwork was often limited; a sign of Cuba being somewhat shut off from the rest of the world for so long. These amazing Cuban artists made the best of what they had, which is truly an art within itself.

My husband at the museum.

A kids crayon drawing of national hero Ché Guevara.

There was also a cool street art scene that featured some murals, sculptural pieces and graffiti . I wish I knew the name of each artist. If you recognize a piece and know who the artist is, please let me know!

Mr. Brainwash's work at a pop up gallery in the meat packing district.

As I walked into the gallery pop up shop (located next to the DVF showroom in the meat packing district) all I could think about was Banksy and how much this art work resembled his street murals. There is speculation amongst bloggers and critics that Mr. Brainwash is "an elaborate prank staged by Banksy" -- I would not be surprised if this is true. Every piece in the gallery whispered Banksy's name.

On a table near the entrance stood a sign that read "Mr. Brainwash" also known as the French artist Thierry Guetta. At that moment, I shredded all pre-judgement of the exhibit and went off to observe every piece in the gallery.

One of the first pieces that stood out to me was a portrait of Bob Marley; the bottom of his bust made with melted vinyl records -- a perfect addition to the National Portrait Gallery in D.C.

There were two major themes present in the gallery: the constant reiteration of how beautiful life/love is and the influence on pop culture in society. The famous 'American Gothic' painting was reworked with the iconic woman and man as graffiti artists.

I left the gallery feeling overwhelmed with happiness and reminded that life is what you make it. It's all about perspective -- life is beautiful only if you choose to view it that way.

If you have visited this exhibit or want to share a recent art experience, please comment below or shoot us an email at hello@chelamitchell.com.

This time last year, I was in a serious "creativity block". Ideas weren't flowing. I was not inspired.

One Sunday morning I found myself without my daughter or husband. I cooked brunch for myself and headed to one of my favorite places in the city- the Hirshhorn Museum.

The Hirshhorn building radiates with beams of originality; a cylindrical establishment that lives on the corner of DC's Independence Avenue. When you arrive at the doors of the museum, you can feel that art lives there.

I walk inside, do the usual security check and head upstairs. I'm anticipating the elation that comes with a Peter Pilotto exhibit. I'm expecting the thrill that takes over you when you see your first Warhol.

To my dismay, I couldn't produce any of the aforementioned sentiments. There was an exhibit on destruction that featured photographs of crumbled cars, and videos of dilapidated barns amongst other works of art.

How the fuck would a picture of a car crash save me from my creative rut? I was so disappointed. I did not stay long, as I felt that I wasted enough of my time peddling through halls of blah.

I went to the museum two months later in hopes that there would be new works of art waiting for me. Nope. The same exhibit was open - I gave it a second chance.

I studied the photographs that captured cars post crash/accident. I sat down and watched a video of a man who stood tall in front of a barn while the building fell apart in slow motion around him.

It was all inspiring. Inspiring because there is a supreme beauty in imperfection if you open yourself up to it. That man at the barn sparked nostalgic thoughts of how I stood strong when everything around me fell apart.

I didn't cook brunch for myself that day. I ate art for brunch and it fed me two lessons: 1) There's beauty in imperfection, 2) Always give people, places and things a second chance.